Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Tuesday December 26th 2006.|| Click here to Download MP3 file 4.95MB|| time:5m24s
One Palestinian farmer injured by the army in Northern Gaza, while in the West Bank Israeli troops abducts eight Palestinians, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The Gaza Update
A Palestinian farmer was shot and injured by the Israeli army in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya on Tuesday morning. Palestinian medical sources in the town reported that Isma'el Ghubun, 27, was shot in his knees and legs, and was transported to Kamal Adwan hospital for treatment. His injuries were described as "critical", due to severe internal bleeding.
Eyewitnesses stated that Ghubun was working on his land, adjacent to the northern Gazan-Israeli border, when Israeli troops opened fire on him from a nearby military position, which overlooks farm lands there.
Also on Tuesday morning, a group of Palestinian resistance fighters fired two homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot. A statement from the Al Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad movement said that these attacks come in response to the ongoing Israeli military attacks on the Palestinian people.
Unknown gunmen detonated a bomb in a trading company on Tuesday morning in the town of Beit Lahyia in the northern Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses said that the gunmen attacked and detonated a home made bomb in the Madhoun trading company in the town of Biet Lahyia. The explosion caused cultural damage to the establishment, neighboring cars and houses sustained damage too.
Sources in the town said that the company is owned by the brother of a Palestinian affiliated with the Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah. Several shops, owned by Hamas affiliated residents, were attacked today in the town by the same unknown gunmen the eyewitnesses added.
Late on Monday night, Israeli soldiers controlling the Beit Hanoun crossing, which connects Gaza with Israel, detained a Palestinian ambulance for over three hours. Israeli troops alleged that a plastic bag inside the vehicle contained explosives, but after a controlled detonation, the bag turned out to contain the clothes of the patient.
The West Bank Update
The Israeli army invaded several cities, villages and refugee camps in deferent parts of the West Bank and abducted eight Palestinian men on Tuesday morning.
Troops invaded Al Khader village south of Bethlehem and abducted Mustafa Salah, after searching and ransacking his home, eyewitnesses reported. In the nearby Aida refugee camp, Israeli troops attacked several residents homes, searched them and abducted Mohamed Harz-Allah, 18, local sources reported.
Meanwhile, Mujahid Abu Rumi resident of Al Ezaria east of Jerusalem, said troops surrounded his home, searched it and forcefully locked the family in one room then took prisoner his son Hakam, 18. The father added the soldiers beat his son with their batons while forcing him in their jeep and took him to unknown location.
In Beit 'Awa village, west of Hebron south of the West Bank, Israeli troops surrounded the medical center that belong to the village council, searched and ransacked, eyewitnesses reported.
Mohamed Al Suwiti, the Mayer of the village said that soldiers attacked the medical center in the dawn hours, that they surrounded the building and forced the night shift doctor, the nurse, and the ambulance driver out and detained them for several hours near the building. Soldiers searched the building and destroyed some medical equipment, Al Suwiti added. The army left after interrogating the three detained for some time, no arrests were made, the army claimed that they were looking for what they call Wanted Palestinians.
In the meantime south of the city of Hebron in Al Thahria village, right wing Israeli settlers living in illegal Israeli settlement around the village attacked and destroyed Palestinian farm land. Eyewitnesses said that the settlers used a bulldozer to bulldoze farm lands and destroyed totally crops in 40 donoms of land ( the donom in 1000 square meter).
Tarad Abu I'ram, 30 Fadel Abu I'ram, 35, were both abducted by Israeli forces on Tuesday morning during an invasion to Yatta village near Hebron. Israeli forces also invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, searched scores of residents' homes down town, then abducted Rafiq Nufal, 20, and took him to unknown destination.
Also in the northern part of the West Bank, Israeli soldiers invaded the city of Jenin and its Refugee camp, searched and ransacked a number of homes and shops and abducted Mahmoud Al Sa'di, leader in the Islamic Jihad Movement, from Jenin refugee camp and Iyad Al Sayed, from the city of Jenin. Both were moved to detention camps, sources in the city reported.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today for the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org brought to you by Jane Smith and Ghassan Bannoura.
